


Booker's Choice

by seleniticexplorer



Series: Bioshock one-shots [7]
Category: BioShock Infinite
Genre: Angst, Booker is a sad dad, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Poverty, References to Depression, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-02-29
Packaged: 2018-05-23 21:12:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6130213
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seleniticexplorer/pseuds/seleniticexplorer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One cold night, Booker realizes he can't keep his baby girl in destitution with him anymore and, in a moment of desperation, makes a choice he will one day regret.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Booker's Choice

A shrill wail cut through the air, shaking Booker from his half-hungover, half exhausted stupor. “s’ok baby girl,” he mumbled, instinctively wrapping his arms around the tiny infant fussing in his arms. “S’ok, Daddy’s gotcha…”

Booker scowled, struggling to clear his head. Anna’s crying wasn’t helping the headache he already had.

“Ok, ok, let’s think sweetheart… It’s pretty cold out. Let’s get Daddy’s jacket, huh?”

Booker pushed himself unsteadily to his feet, carrying the still crying Anna with him. She sounded so pitiful, her cries weaker than they had been the night before. “Sh, sh baby, please save your strength,” he soothed wearily, pulling the one jacket he owned from the dresser and wrapping it around Anna as best he could.

But Anna kept crying, her usually bright blue eyes as bloodshot as his own.

Booker turned toward the cupboard and stove, hot guilt crawling all over him, into his gut. “Shit… I’ll get some food tomorrow, ok baby-girl?”

The resentful, loathing voice that had burgeoned up in his mind after the Battle of Wounded Knee scoffed. Another lie, of course. He couldn’t even fool himself anymore.

He wouldn’t find food for Anna tomorrow, he would sit on his ass and drink what was left of the liquor. He would drop his daughter at Mrs. Kirk’s apartment next door.  The family there would feed her while Booker went scavenging in the street trash, half-drunk to stave off the desire to pull out the old pistol and just call it quits.

And all because he wasn’t a strong enough or good enough man to do anything else.

Anna was still crying, but her twitching had become weaker. Good… Maybe she would cry herself to sleep.

Booker choked on a dry sob.

What kind of father lets his little girl grow up like this? He didn’t deserve Anna… And Anna didn’t deserve a father like him. Every time Booker looked at her, he was reminded of Annabel’s tearstained face as Booker took their daughter from her dying arms. He had failed them both.

_Bring us the girl and wipe away the debt._

Booker looked up.

But… that man… He had offered a way out. Nothing could be worse for Anna than living in this hellhole with her drunkard father, right? And if she were gone… maybe his guilt would stop gnawing his guts out every waking moment.

Just maybe, he could set things on a better path again by giving her up.

Maybe after everything… He’d get another chance.


End file.
